Do You Think Internet Security Is a Threat to Developing Countries - Research Paper Example

DO YOU THINK INTERNET SECURITY IS A THREAT TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES? Number January 24, OUTLINE DO YOU THINK INTERNET SECURITY IS A THREAT TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES? I. INTRODUCTION II. RESEARCH QUESTIONS a. Do you think internet security is a threat to developing countries? b. How has internet security been a threat to developing countries? III. HYPOTHESIS IV. WAYS IN WHICH INTERNET SECURITY IS A THREAT TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES a. Risk resulting from linked communication and IS b. Availability of late technology c. Systems security update V. CONCLUSION VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY Introduction The rapid growth of internet has seen numerous businesses and institutions develop from one level to another. Modern communication and transactions are operated online and in real time despite the distance between people. However, internet insecurity to protect the system and computers from the exposed threats is a big challenge in developing countries. Internet use is a crucial factor for human, social and economic development around the world, but the developing countries may not be able to utilize the full potential due several factors that affect privacy, trust, security of systems and consumer protection on these countries’ end. Due to such opportunities, internet propagated crimes are on the rise with hackers and few of the learned exploiting the available resources, and establishing the weakness of various systems to benefit on their behalf. Internet has reached developing countries, but the governance and security mechanism has not been equally implemented across each individual country. The fact that some governments cannot allow certain transactions to occur online mean that the systems been used are still vulnerable to insecurity. Past research by Kallisa and Oostdijk indicate that ICT governance and infrastructure, identity management systems besides weak systems and insecurity awareness are still poor in these countries.1 There seem to be most challenges in the roll out of internet in third world countries, which is not in conformity with the industrialized nations. The countries are still lagging behind in development and implementation of internet security laws, policies and procedures to enable user protection, access, prevent cyber crimes. The other risk lies in the technology used and expertise employed to control the internet connected systems. Though the increasing connectivity in developing countries, much is required to ensure secure use of internet in the systems. Research questions Do you think internet security is a threat to developing countries? How has internet security been a threat to developing countries? Hypothesis The diffusion of internet in developed and developing countries portray a great variation in its integration in the economic development and use and sustainability in these countries. While the measures placed in industrialized nations allows it to reap most of the benefits, only few (high income households, governments, top executives, professionals and the learned mostly in the urban areas) in developing nations enjoy the same. The rapid development in technology, good ICT infrastructure, education enhancement and rigid legal framework to facilitate internet services has led to computer, systems and internet misuse to increase cybercrime and insecurity in low income and developing nations. At least most nations of the developing word can testify to the existence of an ICT infrastructure even if those of the old model that support the delivery of the their electronic services. Some are already changing into the modern fiber optic for high speed and international connectivity aided by private investors and partially by governments. The ubiquity of ICT in the contemporary world in places like Africa is part of what continue to magnify the misuse of internet and enhance cyber attacks. Brazil, India, Russia and China are few of the emergent but still developing countries where cyber insecurity can be heavily traced.2 Education was before a challenge to most developing countries, but with the devolution of governments, education is now available to most of the young children, while high school and colleges that offer computing knowledge is was made cheaper. Skilled programmers and technical savvies are communing up, but a good number to take advantage of the computing systems negatively, especially in hacking and developing programs that can paralyze systems. The legal framework still lies loose and many policies depend of the international standards and regulation for protection and privacy of users. Some develop their ICT regulation, but fail to provide flexibility with the dynamism of the ICT sector. Ways in which internet security is a threat to developing countries Risk resulting from linked communication and IS: With the increased freedom and access of internet services across the globe, sophisticated and advanced technologies in developing countries are their vulnerabilities. Foe example, Africa has become linked to the western world through communication and information systems as is with the financial system. Meaning the effect of the failure at their end would make Africa insecure on the other end. Suppose a security compromise occurs at the U.S linked with an African country, the resulting effect could be quite serious, and considering that each is supposed to fix the problem for compatibility of their end, it would be very costly for the African nation. Democratization of internet and technology: Due to the education opportunity and the widespread use of technology, young and vulnerable individuals have acquired access to internet services without difficulties. A phone in places like Africa is no longer a luxury as it was some 10 years ago. Many cyber cafes are in almost everywhere specially in urban centers, students in high schools and colleges have internet connectivity, not to mention the households with internet connectivity and smart phones use which are the norm of every youth. Apart from the schools and public institutions, nothing can prevent these people to navigate and browse in any site they are interested in. Online chatting and communication of youths with strangers and access of undesirable websites at their age is one of the rising threats in cyberspace existing due to insecure environment.3 Lack of proper internet protection is a major challenge for this group, where it would be easy for the youths to access pornographic and malicious websites through online games and browsing. The more insecure the internet is, the higher the chances of youths and the illiterate users to access and use unsecure environment to further unlawful agendas. Availability of late technology: Most of technology advancement occurs at the western world though emergent countries have acquired their share in this. Contrary, developing countries have been at the receivers’ end of technology adoption and use. Often outdated technologies in western world are the new technologies in developing countries. You hear of donated computers systems in Africa to support their business and leaning institutions. By the time new technology is reaching them, the hackers in the industrialized world have gathered relevant information and comprehend the weakness of such systems. Upon deployment they get to exploit the vulnerabilities of such systems before the ethical hackers and software programmers can actually detect. Solms records that the South Africa alone suffered a financial loss of 2.65 billion Rands due to cyber crime in 2012; with examples of those attacked been foreign affairs, SAPS and Post Bank systems.4 In addition, the majority of users do not take enough protective measures for their computers and systems against destructive programs online. System security update: Lack of regularly updated software to prevent malicious codes and use of unsecure sites or corporation to update their systems are some of the vulnerabilities of their attack. Hackers develop codes that manipulate the actual software systems upon activation to execute identity theft for authentication into systems so that they perform crimes by using or altering the information and date for their gain. Majority fall prey to these activities in developing and developed nations. On the other hand, legal enforcement of the ICT framework has been implied to mean rigidity. Few of these countries regularly revise and update their regulations with the changing needs of the technology and ICT sector. Those who used former infrastructure of the ICT have adamantly held on to them despite the development of other secure structures. This continues to expose them to internet insecurity risks that have long been eradicated in the developed nations. Conclusion Every nation is striving to reap the benefit of internet services for their economic and social development. However, the effectiveness of its use in developing countries is debatable considering what activities users perform on it. First of all, not everyone has access to the internet, but the youths and few of the older working class group. Therefore its use has not achieved full capacity in the business and social realm. Some organizations have internet connectivity but fail to perform certain sensitive operations via online services in fear of the risk of data and information breach of the company. Some have deployed and placed inadequate security measures hence suffer from cyber threats and crimes. Organizations have lost substantial assets in the past for having people without sufficient technical knowledge to secure their systems from cyber attacks, while people have accessed malicious sites online unknowingly as the browse in the internet. Internet has become a target point for hacker to access unauthorized systems and violate people’s privacy to further their crimes. Developing nations need to take key measures in the use of ICT and technology to enable users (organization, youth and adults) to navigate and browse through the internet without fear of insecurity. Internet education and sufficient governance to these systems ought to be provided to equip users with adequate knowledge on cyber crimes and how to avoid such attacks. Bibliography Daily Graphics. “Ghana ITU Sign Pack to Safeguard Cyber Space.” edition.myjoyonline.com. Last Modified May 28, 2013. http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/science/201305/106716.php Kallisa Ibrahim and Oostdijk Martijn. “Towards Excellence in Internet Security Research for Developing Countries.” mak.ac.ug. Accessed January 23, 2014, http://cit.mak.ac.ug/iccir/downloads/SREC_05/Ibrahim%20Kaliisa%20and%20Martijn%20Oostdijk_05.pdf 224-225 Solms BasieVon. “Cyber Security Risks with Special References to Hactivism.” ymcdn.com. July 26, 2013. http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.irmsa.org.za/resource/collection/23DC8E48-F8BE-443D-8B3C-E7B23F9C95DA/Risk_Lab_2013_-_Basie_von_Solms.pdf UN News Centre. “Developing Countries Most Vulnerable to Cyberattacks – UN.” un.org. Accessed January 23, 2014. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp/www.unmin.org.np/story.asp?NewsID=40692&Cr=cyber&Cr1=#.UuHzRCdRVdg Read More